Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe Travel Guide

For a small, landlocked country in southern Africa, Zimbabwe
offers an astounding variety of natural beauty and spectacular
scenery. The country holds great appeal for active adventurers,
outdoor enthusiasts and anybody with an appreciative eye for
beauty. Famous sights include the majesty of the iconic Victoria
Falls, the giant marble-like boulders of the Motopo Hills, the
verdant mountains of the Eastern Highlands, the national parks
teeming with wildlife, and the Great Zimbabwe ancient ruins.
Zimbabwe's capital city, Harare, is also impressive in many
ways.

The Victoria Falls are Zimbabwe's most popular tourist
destination and one of the greatest natural wonders of the world.
Their mile-wide (2km) curtain of water plunges deep into the
Zambezi Gorge creating a cloud of mist that can be seen up to 20
miles (32km) away. This area is renowned for being the 'adventure
capital of Africa', offering a variety of high adrenaline
activities, including one of the wildest days of whitewater rafting
on earth, and a 364-foot (111m) bungee jump into the Zambezi River
gorge from the bridge linking Zimbabwe to Zambia. If you'd rather
lie back and relax, there are scenic flights over the area, game
viewing adventures and tranquil sundowner cruises above the
falls.

Wildlife flourishes in the untamed wilderness of the Zambezi
Valley, in national parks, and on the shores of Lake Kariba, where
hippo, crocodiles, buffalo, rhino, elephant and lion roam freely.
Remote and protected wildlife reserves line the banks of the
Zambezi River and the region offers some of the finest canoe
safaris in Southern Africa, particularly the UNESCO World Heritage
Site at Mana Pools, which is renowned for its outstanding variety
of game. The saltpans and grassy plains of Hwange National Park
support one of the largest concentrations of animals in the world,
and is the largest game reserve in the country. Lake Kariba is
treasured as a source of hydro-electricity, as well as for its
fishing resources. It is a beautiful stretch of water studded with
islands and the sun-bleached branches of dead trees, surrounded by
mountains and forests. Houseboats offer a wonderful opportunity to
relax and take in the spectacular sunsets, enjoy a variety of
watersports, and spot the vast quantities of game attracted to the
lake, including huge Nile crocodiles and hippos.

The ongoing social and political unrest in Zimbabwe, together
with an exceptionally weak economy, has deterred many potential
travellers from visiting Zimbabwe and experiencing some of the most
breathtaking scenery and first-class game viewing safaris in
Africa. Although visitors to the country are urged to exercise
caution at all times and to remain aware of recent political
developments, the main tourist areas, and national parks in
particular, have been largely unaffected by the political
situation, being far from the main cities where much of the
instability exists. Ivory poaching, particularly of Black Rhino
horn, has become a significant challenge for conservationists. In a
desperate attempt to attract business, many game lodges are
offering extremely competitive prices to travellers.